"Boss!!"
Not far away, several crew members rushed over to save him.
Kaido waved his hand.
Bad Wind!
Countless wind blades howled forth!
Those crew members were instantly sliced to pieces, their blood staining the snow red!
Kaido walked up to Moria, raising his spiked club high.
"This strike will send you on your way—!"
Just as the spiked club was about to descend, the shadow beneath Moria's feet suddenly came to life.
Shadow Doppelganger!
His body instantly swapped positions with a shadow beneath a distant tree.
Kaido's strike hit nothing but air!
Boom!!
The ground was smashed into a crater dozens of meters in diameter.
"Hmm?"
Kaido turned his head.
Moria had already appeared beneath a tree a hundred meters away, covered in blood and swaying unsteadily.
But one of his hands was clutching Ryūma's coffin tightly.
"Boss! Get out of here!"
The remaining members of the Moonlight Pirate Crew surged forward, charging at Kaido.
"We'll cover you!!"
Moria watched those charging crew members, his heart torn.
He knew staying meant death.
Gritting his teeth, he turned his head, picked up Ryūma's coffin, and swiftly fled the scene.
Behind him, screams rose and fell one after another.
Crew members fell one by one.
Blood stained the snow red.
On the pirate ship of the Moonlight Pirate Crew.
On the deck, many coffins were neatly arranged—their harvest from this journey.
Ryūma's coffin was placed right in the center.
Moria knelt on both knees, head bowed low.
Those subordinates who had followed him for years, those loyal companions who had shielded his escape, all perished on that snowy plain.
Wiped out completely.
Only he remained.
"Damn it... damn it... damn it—!!"
He slammed his fists fiercely against the deck!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each punch carried boundless rage and grief!
"I swear... from now on, I will never let myself or my subordinates fight personally!"
"I will create a powerful zombie army! Immortal and indestructible!"
He glared in the direction of Wano Country, his teeth grinding audibly:
"Kaido, just you wait!"
The first year of the Great Pirate Era.
The Supernovas who had risen to prominence witnessed for the first time the true meaning of an "Emperor."
It was not a mountain one could cross by mere challenge, but an abyss impossible to surmount.
...
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Conference Room.
Admiral-in-Chief Sengoku sat at the head of the table, hands clasped under his chin, brows tightly furrowed.
A year ago, after Roger's execution, Kong stepped back to a secondary role, passing the position of Admiral-in-Chief to him.
In this past year, the Great Pirate Era had begun, the number of pirates had skyrocketed, and the Marines' workload had multiplied several times over.
But what truly troubled him wasn't the flood of newcomers, but the powerful figures from the old era who were stirring up storms.
Sengoku's fist slammed onto the table as he said gravely:
"Bullet has destroyed another one of our branch bases in the New World. What are your thoughts on this?"
Below, Garp sat in his chair, head tilted to one side, a large bubble emerging from his nostril as he snored loudly.
A vein throbbed on Sengoku's forehead. He took a deep breath and decided to ignore him.
Tsuru slowly spoke up:
"Bullet was once a member of the Roger Pirates.
Ever since Roger's execution, he's been acting like a madman, wreaking havoc across the New World."
Within three months, he has destroyed four of our branch bases.
I believe we cannot sit idly by. This level of destruction has exceeded the scope of ordinary pirates. We must strike severely."
Kizaru leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, speaking in his usual sly tone:
"Yo~ scary~ It's said that Bullet's strength rivals that of Silvers Rayleigh."
Akainu crossed his arms, expression stern, eyes sharp:
"Anyone who challenges the Marines' authority must be met with Absolute Justice.
Whether he's Bullet or Nine Bullet, he must pay the price."
At this moment, Sengoku stood up and walked to the nautical chart.
His finger pointed to a location in the New World, a small island marked as "Bavo Island."
"New World, Bavo Island. He appeared there one day ago and hasn't left since."
He turned around, sweeping his gaze over everyone, and said solemnly:
"So, I have decided to launch a Buster Call."
The atmosphere in the conference room instantly froze.
Buster Call—the highest-level military operation of the Marines, led by five Headquarters Vice Admirals commanding ten Giant Battleships, conducting indiscriminate destructive strikes on the target.
Such scale of action is typically only used against the most dangerous enemies.
Sengoku began deploying:
"Target: Douglas Bullet."
"Participants: Sakazuki, Kuzan, Momonga, Strawberry, Marigold, totaling five Headquarters Vice Admirals."
"Assemble ten Giant Battleships, depart tomorrow morning."
Akainu stood up and saluted:
"Yes!"
Aokiji also lazily stood up, stretching:
"Ara ara... another mission..."
The meeting ended, and everyone filed out.
Garp was still sleeping, snoring thunderously.
Tsuru walked past him, shook her head, and slapped him on the back of his head.
"Let's go, the meeting's over."
Garp startled awake, rubbing his eyes:
"Huh? Over? That... Bullet something?"
Tsuru ignored him and walked straight out of the conference room.
...
One day later.
New World, Bavo Island.
Ten Giant Battleships cleaved through the waves, slowly emerging from the horizon.
The fleet spread out in a fan shape, encircling this small island.
The decks were filled with fully armed Marine elites.
Five Headquarters Vice Admirals, each leading two thousand men, had already arranged their formations on the beach.
Ten thousand Marine soldiers surrounded the entire island, sealing it off completely.
Vice Admiral Momonga stood at the forefront, hand on his sword hilt, gaze fixed inland.
Beside him were Strawberry and Marigold, both equally serious.
"Sakazuki and Kuzan have gone in," Momonga said gravely. "We hold the perimeter, prevent the target from breaking through and escaping."
Strawberry nodded:
"Understood."
Marigold, chewing on a cigar, exhaled a puff of smoke:
"That guy... reportedly very strong."
Momonga replied: "No matter how strong, can he be stronger than Sakazuki and Kuzan combined?"
Though all Vice Admirals, they knew clearly that aside from Garp who refused promotion to Admiral, among all Marine Vice Admirals, Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji were the strongest.
After all, they all graduated from the Marine Academy, their past training records vivid in memory.
These three not only possessed astonishing talent but had also consumed powerful Logia-type Devil Fruits.
Everyone could sense that these three were already close to attaining Admiral positions.
Because the combat strength of these three had already reached the level of a Marine Admiral, what they lacked now was only achievements.
...
At the center of the island.
A man sat atop a massive rock.
Douglas Bullet.
He heard the commotion from afar, raised his head, and looked toward the densely packed formation on the beach.
His mouth slowly curled into a grin.
"They've finally arrived."
He stood up, jumped down from the rock, stretched his muscles, and watched the two men emerging from the forest.
"I thought it would draw an Admiral, but it turns out only two measly Vice Admirals. I wonder if they'll be enough for me to fight."
Aokiji stopped walking, tilted his head to look at him, and smiled:
"Ahahaha... We're being underestimated."
Akainu removed his Marine cap and wiped his face.
His sharply defined face showed no expression, only a cold killing intent.
He put his cap back on and said coldly:
"Kuzan, why waste words with these scum?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his right arm instantly transformed into flowing magma!
"Great Eruption—!"
He punched out!
A massive magma fist shot out like a missile, carrying terrifying power enough to evaporate a small mountain, heading straight toward Bullet.
Bullet neither dodged nor avoided it.
His right fist wrapped in Haki, he punched forward!
Boom—!!
The two fists collided!
The shockwave spread outward, the ground like it had been plowed by a giant, exploding into a crater a hundred meters wide!
Debris flew, dust filled the sky!
Bullet retreated two steps, steadied himself, and flexed his wrist.
"Not bad."
Just then, Aokiji attacked from behind him!
"Ice Spears!"
Four ice spears condensed from the void, their tips wrapped in Haki, piercing straight toward Bullet's back from four angles.
Bullet instantly covered his back with Armament Haki!
Clang clang clang clang—!
The four ice spears struck his back like hitting steel plates, all snapping and breaking!
As ice fragments scattered, Bullet quickly turned and punched out.
Aokiji couldn't dodge in time, his body instantly underwent Elemental Transformation, scattering into a sky full of ice fragments.
Bullet's punch missed, hitting the air with a dull explosive sound.
He frowned slightly, annoyance flashing in his eyes: "Logia Types are troublesome."
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